Excerpt from “Cast No Shadow”

So reading the much superior “Cast No Shadow” right now (compared to “Unspoken Truth”) and I came across this. To set up although most of book takes place in 2300 this particular scene flashbacks to 2290, so about 3 years before “The Undiscovered Country”. Valeris just graduated from the Academy and Kirk just gave a speech to her graduating class aboard their first starship assignment:

“Valeris.”

She felt the ghost of a familiar aura and turned around to find Spock standing nearby, his hands folded behind his back. He seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere. “Captain.” She nodded coolly to her teacher. “I was not aware you were a guest at this ceremony.”

Spock inclined his head towards Kirk. “I am the captain’s….plus-one.”

“Of course.”